The present invention relates generally to the field of orthodontics, and more particularly to systems and methods of managing planning and delivery of an orthodontic treatment using planning tools, treatment guidelines, instructions and appointment planning tools customized to the individual patient being treated, as well as tools and methods for tracking delivery and patient progression through an orthodontic treatment plan.
An objective of orthodontics is to move a patient's teeth to positions where function and/or aesthetics are optimized. Traditionally, appliances such as braces are applied to the patient's teeth by an orthodontist or dentist and the set of braces exerts continual force on the teeth and gradually urges them toward their intended positions. Over time and with a series of clinical visits and adjustments to the braces, the practitioner adjusts the appliances to move the teeth toward their final destination.
More recently, alternatives to conventional orthodontic treatment with traditional affixed appliances (e.g., braces) have become available. For example, systems including a series of preformed aligners have become commercially available from Align Technology, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., under the tradename Invisalign® System. The Invisalign® System includes designing and/or fabricating multiple, and sometimes all, of the aligners to be worn by the patient before the aligners are administered to the patient and used to reposition the teeth (e.g., at the outset of treatment). Often, designing and planning a customized treatment for a patient makes use of computer-based 3-dimensional planning/design tools, such as ClinCheck® from Align Technology, Inc. The design of the aligners can rely on computer modeling of a series of planned successive tooth arrangements, and the individual aligners are designed to be worn over the teeth and elastically reposition the teeth to each of the planned tooth arrangements.
Recent advances in orthodontic treatment, including availability of the treatment systems discussed above, have made orthodontic treatment options available to a wide variety of patients and dental practitioners. Unfortunately, barriers to more wide-spread use of such treatment options still exist, thereby preventing both patients and dental practitioners from access to orthodontic treatment technology they desire. One such barrier includes more wide-spread use of orthodontic treatment technology to dental practitioners with limited experience in orthodontics. For example, many general dental practitioners with limited knowledge or exposure to orthodontics may be interested in learning orthodontic techniques and providing such treatment to patients, but may lack confidence in their abilities to effectively deliver treatment and/or achieve predictable outcomes. Furthermore, while patient treatment and tooth movements can be planned prospectively, in some cases orthodontic treatment can deviate from the planned treatment or stages, which can be challenging to practitioners of any experience level and can lead to variability in treatment outcome and, in many cases, decreased treatment efficacy. Deviations can arise for numerous reasons, and can include biological variations, poor patient compliance, and/or factors related to biomechanical design. In the case of aligners, continued treatment with previously designed and/or fabricated aligners can be difficult or impossible where a patient's teeth deviate substantially from the planned treatment course. For example, subsequent aligners may no longer fit the patient's teeth once treatment progression has deviated from the planned course.
Accordingly, improved methods and techniques are needed for facilitating orthodontic practice among a wide range of practitioners, including those with limited experience in orthodontics as well as experienced practitioners desiring more guidance particularly for complex cases. Furthermore, because detecting a deviation from planned treatment most typically relies on visual inspection of the patient's teeth or observation of appliances no longer fitting, treatment can sometimes progresses significantly off track by the time a deviation is detected, thereby making any required corrective measures more difficult and/or substantial. Treatment planning an management systems that can provide earlier and better off track determinations, together with other enhanced planning and management tools, would, therefore, be beneficial.